Mobile Access 2010
Six in ten Americans go online wirelessly using a
laptop or cell phone; African-Americans and 18-29
year olds lead the way in the use of cell phone data
applications, but older adults are gaining ground

Summary of Findings
Six in ten American adults are now wireless internet users, and mobile data applications have grown more popular over the last year.
As of May 2010, 59% of all adult Americans go online wirelessly. Our definition of a wireless internet user
includes the following activities:
â&#x20AC;˘ Going online with a laptop using a wi-fi connection or mobile broadband card. Roughly half of all
adults (47%) go online in this way, up from the 39% who did so at a similar point in 2009.
â&#x20AC;˘ Use the internet, email or instant messaging on a cell phone. Two in five adults (40%) do at least one
of these using a mobile device, an increase from the 32% of adults who did so in 2009.
Taken together, 59% of American adults now go online wirelessly using either a laptop or cell phone, an
increase over the 51% of Americans who did so at a similar point in 2009.1
Cell phone ownership has remained stable over the last year, but users are taking advantage of a much
wider range of their phonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; capabilities compared with a similar point in 2009. Of the eight mobile
data applications we asked about in both 2009 and 2010, all showed statistically significant year-to-year
growth.

The use of non-voice data applications
has grown significantly over the last year

The % of cell phone owners who use their phones to do the following
66

Take a picture

76
65
72

Send or receive
text messages
Play a game

27
34

Send or receive email

25
34

Access the internet
Play music
Send or receive
instant messages
Record a video

1
Because of changes in question wordings over time, our current wireless internet user definition is not directly comparable to any pre-2009 findings.

page 2

This year we also asked for the first time about seven additional cell phone activities. Among all cell
phone owners:
• 54% have used their mobile device to send someone a photo or video
• 23% have accessed a social networking site using their phone
• 20% have used their phone to watch a video
• 15% have posted a photo or video online
• 11% have purchased a product using their phone
• 11% have made a charitable donation by text message
• 10% have used their mobile phone to access a status update service such as Twitter

African-Americans and Latinos continue to outpace whites in their use of data
applications on handheld devices.
Continuing a trend we first identified in 2009, minority Americans lead the way when it comes to mobile
access—especially mobile access using handheld devices. Nearly two-thirds of African-Americans (64%)
and Latinos (63%) are wireless internet users, and minority Americans are significantly more likely to
own a cell phone than their white counterparts (87% of blacks and Hispanics own a cell phone, compared with 80% of whites). Additionally, black and Latino cell phone owners take advantage of a much
wider array of their phones’ data functions compared to white cell phone owners. It is important to note
that our data for Hispanics represents English-speaking Hispanics only, as our survey did not provide a
Spanish-language option.

page 3

page 4

Young adults are heavily invested in the mobile web, although 30-49 year olds
are gaining ground.
Nine in ten 18-29 year olds own a cell phone, and these young cell owners are significantly more likely
than those in other age groups to engage in all of the mobile data applications we asked about in our
survey. Among 18-29 year old cell phone owners:
• 95% send or receive text messages
• 93% use their phone to take pictures
• 81% send photos or videos to others
• 65% access the internet on their mobile device
• 64% play music on their phones
• 60% use their phones to play games or record a video
• 52% have used their phone to send or receive email
• 48% have accessed a social networking site on their phone
• 46% use instant messaging on their mobile device
• 40% have watched a video on their phone
• 33% have posted a photo or video online from their phone
• 21% have used a status update service such as Twitter from their phone
• 20% have purchased something using their mobile phone
• 19% have made a charitable donation by text message
Although young adults have the highest levels of mobile data application use among all age groups,
utilization of these services is growing fast among 30-49 year olds. Compared with a similar point in
2009, cell owners ages 30-49 are significantly more likely to use a range of mobile data applications on a
handheld device.
The mobile data applications with the largest year-to-year increases among the 30-49 year old cohort
include taking pictures (83% of 30-49 year old cell owners now do this, a 12-point increase from 2009);
recording videos (39% do this, an 18-point increase from 2009); playing music (36% do this, a 15-point
increase); using instant messaging (35% now do this, a 14-point increase); and accessing the internet
(43% now do this, a 12-point increase compared with 2009).

About the Survey
This report is based on the findings of a daily tracking survey on Americans’ use of the Internet. The results in this report are based on data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research
Associates International between April 29 and May 30, 2010, among a sample of 2,252 adults ages 18
and older, including 744 reached on a cell phone. Interviews were conducted in English. For results
based on the total sample, one can say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling
and other random effects is plus or minus 2.4 percentage points. For results based cell phone owners
(n=1,917), the margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.7 percentage points. In addition to sampling
error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting telephone surveys may introduce some
error or bias into the findings of opinion polls.

page 5

Data about sending photos or videos to others using a cell phone and texting charitable donations
are based on telephone interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,009 adults living in
the continental United States. Telephone interviews were conducted by landline (678) and cell phone
(331, including 104 without a landline phone). The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research
International (PSRAI). Interviews were done in English by Princeton Data Source from June 17-20, 2010.
Statistical results are weighted to correct known demographic discrepancies. The margin of sampling error for the complete set of weighted data is Âą3.7 percentage points.

page 6

Part One: The current state of wireless internet use
As of May 2010, six in ten American adults (59%) are wireless internet users. Due to the quickly evolving
nature of mobile technologies, our definition of a wireless internet user has changed several times since
we began studying this topic; throughout this report, a wireless internet user is defined as someone who
does one or more of the following:
• Go online from a laptop using a wi-fi or mobile broadband internet connection. 86% of laptop owners go online in this way, which represents 47% of all American adults.
• Use the internet, email or instant messaging from a cell phone. Half (49%) of cell phone owners do
at least one of these on their mobile device, which works out to 40% of all adults.
The 59% of American adults who do at least one of these activities represents an eight-point increase
over the 51% of American adults who did so in our April 2009 wireless internet survey, and wireless access using both cell phones and laptops has grown significantly on a year-to-year basis.2 The remaining
41% of Americans includes those who are internet users but do not go online wirelessly (22%) as well as
those who are not internet users (19%).

Wireless internet use, 2009-2010
The % of all adults who do the following
April 2009

39

51

47

Go online
wirelessly with
laptop

May 2010

32

59

40

Go online
wirelessly with
cell phone

Go online
wirelessly from
cell or laptop

Source: Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project,
April 29-May 30, 2010 Tracking Survey. N=2,252 adults 18 and
older. Cell phone wireless users include those who use email on
a cell phone; use the internet on a cell phone; or use instant
messaging on a cell phone.

2
While our 2009 report on “Wireless Internet Use” found that 56% of Americans went online wirelessly, that figure
included several access methods (such as using a wireless network with a desktop computer) that were not asked in this survey.
The 51% number cited above represents only the proportion who went online wirelessly using a cell phone or laptop computer.
Due to changes in question wording over time, 2009 is the only year with directly comparable data to our 2010 findings.

page 7

Laptop computers and cell phones are the primary way Americans go online wirelessly. When we include
other devices (such as mp3 players, e-book readers or tablet computers) in our definition of wireless internet usage, total usage increases by just one half of one percentage point. These other devices will be
discussed individually in more detail in Part Three: Mobile access using laptops and other devices.
This eight point year-to-year increase in wireless internet usage is reflected across a fairly broad range
of demographic groups, with 18-29 year olds and those with a household income of less than $30,000
per year showing the greatest increases on a percentage point basis. Wireless internet usage remained
flat for only a small number of groups, such as Latinos and those older than 50â&#x20AC;&#x201D;although in contrast to
older Americans, Latinos continue to have high overall rates of wireless adoption. In interpreting these
figures, it is important to keep in mind that our survey did not provide a Spanish-language option so all
data for Hispanics represents English-speaking Hispanics only.3
These higher rates of growth in wireless internet use by whites and African-Americans compared with
Latinos are largely a function of laptop adoption. Rates of laptop ownership have grown dramatically
among African-Americans in the last year (from 34% in 2009 to 51% in 2010) and moderately among
whites (from 47% to 55%). By contrast, laptop ownership among English-speaking Latinos has remained
flat over that time (54% of Latinos currently own a laptop computer, compared with 56% who did so in
2009).

3
Language proficiency has a strong association with technology useâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;for more information on internet adoption and
technology use among Latinos, see http://pewhispanic.org/reports/report.php?ReportID=119

page 8

page 9

Wireless internet users are evenly split between those who access the internet wirelessly using only one
device (a total of 53% of wireless users go online using either a cell phone or a laptop, but not both) and
those who do so using both a laptop and a mobile phone (47% of wireless users). Additionally, many
wireless users take advantage of stationary technologies—70% of wireless internet users own a desktop
computer, and 57% own a home gaming console such as an Xbox or PlayStation.

The composition of the wireless population
59% of Americans go online wirelessly using a laptop or cell phone; this is
how they access the mobile web

Cell phone
only
20%
47%
Laptop
only

Cell phone
and laptop

33%

Source: Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, April 29-May 30, 2010 Tracking Survey. N=2,252
adults 18 and older; n=1,238 based on wireless internet users. Cell phone wireless users include those who use
email on a cell phone; use the internet on a cell phone; or use instant messaging on a cell phone.

Several groups have relatively high rates of cell phone internet use. Some of these include:
• African-Americans and Latinos – 18% of blacks and 16% of English-speaking Hispanics are cell-only
wireless users, compared with 10% of whites. In total, roughly half of African-Americans (54%) and
Hispanics (53%) go online from a mobile phone.
• Young adults – 19% of 18-29 year olds are cell-only wireless users, compared with 13% of 30-49 year
olds, 9% of 50-64 year olds and 5% of those ages 65 and older. In total, two-thirds of 18-29 year olds
(65%) are cell phone internet users and 84% go online using either a cell phone or a laptop with a
wireless internet connection.
• Those with low levels of income and education – 17% of those earning less than $30,000 per year
are cell-only wireless users, as are 20% of those who have not graduated from high school and 15%
of those who have graduated high school but have not attended college. The affluent and well-educated have higher overall levels of wireless internet use due to their much higher rates of ownership
and use of laptop computers.
Seniors are currently the group with the lowest levels of wireless internet usage. Eight in ten seniors
(those ages 65 and older) are either internet users who do not go online wirelessly (24%) or not online at
all (56%).

page 10

In the rest of this report, we will take a more detailed examination of wireless access using mobile
phones (Part Two: Internet use and data applications using mobile phones) and laptop computers and
other devices (Part Three: Mobile access using laptops and other devices).

page 11

Part Two: Internet use and data applications using
mobile phones
The use of mobile data applications has grown dramatically over the last year,
even as overall cell phone ownership has remained steady
Eight in ten American adults (82%) currently own a cell phone of some kind, a figure that has remained
fairly stable over the past year. Since a similar point in 2006, the proportion of Americans with a mobile
phone has risen by nine percentage points.
While overall mobile phone ownership has not grown over the last year, cell owners now take advantage
of a much wider range of their phonesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; capabilities. Compared to when we asked these questions in April
2009, mobile phone owners are significantly more likely to use their phones to take pictures (76% now
do this, up from 66% in April 2009); send or receive text messages (72% vs. 65%); play games (34% vs.
27%); send or receive email (34% vs. 25%); access the internet (38% vs. 25%); play music (33% vs. 21%);
send or receive instant messages (30% vs. 20%); and record a video (34% vs. 19%).

The use of non-voice data applications
has grown significantly over the last year
The % of cell phone owners who use their phones to do the following
66

Take a picture

76
65
72

Send or receive
text messages
Play a game

27
34

Send or receive email

25
34

Access the internet
Play music
Send or receive
instant messages
Record a video

Along with these eight activities, we also asked about seven additional cell phone data applications for
the first time in our 2010 survey.4 Among all cell phone owners:
• 54% have used their mobile device to send someone a photo or video
• 23% have accessed a social networking site using their phone
• 20% have used their phone to watch a video
• 15% have posted a photo or video online
• 11% have purchased a product using their phone
• 11% have made a charitable donation by text message
• 10% have used their mobile phone to access a status update service such as Twitter

Young adults are much more likely than their elders to use mobile data applications, but cell phone access is becoming more prevalent among 30-49 year olds
Picture-taking and texting are near-ubiquitous among young adult cell phone owners. Fully 95% of cellowning 18-29 year olds use the text messaging feature on their phones, and 93% use their mobile devices to take pictures. Since nine in ten young adults own a cell phone, that means that 85% of all 18-29
year olds text, and 83% take photos using a cell phone. Young adult cell phone owners are significantly
more likely to do all of the other mobile data applications we asked about in our survey relative to older
cell owners—often by fairly dramatic margins.5

4
Data about sending photos or videos to others and texting charitable donations were asked on a separate survey (see
Methodology for more information) and are discussed individually in more detail later in this chapter.
5
For comparable data among teens, please see “Teens and Mobile Phones” (2010): http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Teens-and-Mobile-Phones.aspx

page 13

Although young adults are significantly more likely than all other age groups to use non-voice data applications on their mobile devices, these services are growing more popular among older adults (specifically, those ages 30-49). Compared with a similar point in 2009, cell owners ages 30-49 are significantly
more likely to use their mobile phone to:
â&#x20AC;˘ Take pictures (83% of cell owners ages 30-49 now do this, compared with 71% in April 2009)
â&#x20AC;˘ Send or receive text messages (82% vs. 75%)

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• Access the internet (43% vs. 31%)
• Record a video (39% vs. 21%)
• Send or receive email (37% vs. 30%)
• Play music (36% vs. 21%)
• Send or receive instant messages (35% vs. 21%)
Out of the eight mobile data activities we measured in both 2009 and 2010, playing games was the only
one for which 30-49 year olds did not experience significant year-to-year growth—37% of cell owners
ages 30-49 currently play games on a mobile phone, compared with the 32% who did so in 2009.

Minority Americans continue to outpace whites in their use of cell phone data
applications
As we found in previous research on this topic,6 minority cell owners are significantly more likely than
whites to use most non-voice data applications on their mobile devices. They also take advantage of a
wider range of mobile phone features compared with whites. On average, white cell phone owners use
3.8 of the thirteen activities we measured, while black cell owners use an average of 5.4 and Englishspeaking Latinos use an average of 5.8 non-voice data applications.

Additional mobile data applications â&#x20AC;&#x201C; sharing multimedia content and texting
charitable donations
In a separate survey, we asked about two additional mobile activitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;half of cell owners (54%) have
used their mobile device to send a photo or video to someone else, and one in ten (11%) have made a
charitable donation by text message.

page 16

As with the other mobile data applications discussed above, both of these activities are particularly common among young cell owners and minority Americans (particularly Latinos). Fully 81% of cell owners
ages 18-29 have used their phone to send a photo or video to someone else, significant higher the proportion of cell owners ages 30-49 (63%), 50-64 (40%) or 65+ (18%) who have done so. Young cell owners
are also more likely than cell owners in other age groups to make a charitable donation using the text
messaging feature on their phones (19% of cell owners ages 18-29 have done so, compared with 10% of
30-49 year olds, 8% of 50-64 year olds and just 4% of cell owners 65 and up).
In terms of racial/ethnic comparisons, Latino cell phone owners are especially likely to do both of these
activities using their mobile devices. Among cell owners, 70% of English-speaking Latinos have sent
someone a photo or video (compared with 58% of African-Americans and 50% of whites) and 23%
have made a charitable donation via text message (compared with 16% of African-Americans and 7% of
whites).

More than half of mobile web users go online from their phones on a daily basis
In addition to being a growing proportion of the overall cell phone population, users of the mobile web
now go online more frequently using their handheld devices than they did as recently as last year. More
than half of all mobile internet users go online from their handheld devices on a daily basisâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;43% do so
several times a day, and 12% do so about once a day. At a similar point in 2009, just 24% of mobile internet users went online several times a day.

More than half of cell phone internet users
go online daily from their mobile device
Frequency of cell phone internet use among those who go online from a
cell phone (% of adult cell phone internet users)
April 2009
43

39

37

25

24
12
Several times
a day

15

12

About once
a day

10

9

3-5 days
a week

15 13
8
1-2 days
a week

Source: Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, April 29-May 30,
2010 Tracking Survey. N=2,252 adults 18 and older; n=772 based on those who
use a cell phone to access the internet.

page 17

May 2010

September 2009

27

9
Every few
weeks or less

Among mobile internet users, frequency of use is highest among the affluent and well-educated, as well
as Latinos. Among those who go online using a handheld device 55% of English-speaking Hispanics, 52%
of college graduates and 56% of those with a household income of $75,000 or more per year use their
cell phone to go online several times a day. Young adults are also intense mobile internet usersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;52% of
those ages 18-29 who go online using a cell phone do so several times a day, and an additional 17% do
so about once a dayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;although 43% of mobile web users ages 30-49 go online multiple times a day.

page 18

Part Three: Mobile access using laptops and other devices
Nearly as many Americans now own laptops as own desktops, and just under
half of all adults use a laptop to go online wirelessly
As of May 2010 55% of all American adults own a laptop computer. This is the first time since the Pew
Internet Project began surveying laptop ownership that more than half of all adults own a laptop computer, and represents an eight percentage point increase since a similar point in 2009. Laptops are now
nearly as common as desktop computers—62% of American adults now own a desktop computer, a
figure that is relatively unchanged on a year-to-year basis and down slightly from the 68% of adults who
owned a desktop computer in the spring of 2006. As we have found in previous research,7 18-29 year
olds are one of the few groups more likely to own a laptop (70% of 18-29 year olds do so) than a desktop
(61%), although 30-49 year olds are rapidly approaching that point as well (66% of 30-49 year olds own a
desktop, compared with 63% who own a laptop computer).

Desktop and laptop ownership, 2006-2010
The % of all adults who own a desktop or laptop computer
80%

Desktop
60%

Laptop

40%

20%

0%
April
2006

Dec
2007

April
2008

April
2009

Sept
2009

Dec
2009

Jan
2010

May
2010

Source: Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, April 29-May 30,
2010 Tracking Survey. N=2,252 adults 18 and older; n=1,238 based on wireless
internet users. Cell phone wireless users include those who use email on a cell
phone; use the internet on a cell phone; or use instant messaging on a cell phone.

Not all laptop owners use their laptops to go online wirelessly, although the vast majority (86%) do so,
using either a wi-fi or mobile broadband connection. That works out to 47% of all adults who use a lap7
See “Social Media and Young Adults” (2010), Part 2: http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Social-Media-and-YoungAdults/Part-2/2-Computers.aspx?r=1

page 19

top to connect wirelessly to the internet. Both of these represent a statistically significant increase from
what we found at a similar point in 2009. At that time, 82% of laptop owners (representing 39% of all
adults) went online wirelessly using a laptop computer.
Connecting via a wi-fi connection is by far the most common way laptop owners access the wireless
internet. More than eight in ten laptop owners (84%) use wi-fi to go online, and one-quarter (23%) do
so using mobile wireless broadband.8 There is some overlap between these two technologies, as around
one in five laptop owners (22%) use both wi-fi and mobile wireless broadband to go online.
Laptop ownership and mobile usage is most concentrated among the college educated, those younger
than age 50 and those earning $50,000 or more per year. There are no major differences when it comes
to race or ethnicityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;blacks and English-speaking Hispanics are just as likely as whites to own a laptop,
and to access the internet on a laptop using a wireless connection. Notably, laptop ownership and usage
among African Americans has grown significantly since 2009; half (51%) of all black adults now own a
laptop computer, up from the 34% who said this in our April 2009 survey.

8

Note: because multiple responses were allowed, totals may sum to more than 100%.

page 20

page 21

Most wireless laptop users go online from multiple locations
Laptop owners utilize the portable nature and wireless capabilities of these devices to go online from
a range of locations. Among those who use their laptop to go online wirelessly (using either a wi-fi or
mobile broadband card) 86% do so at home, 37% do so at work, and 54% do so someplace other than
home or work. Six in ten wireless laptop users (61%) go online from more than one of these locations,
with two in five (20%) using their laptop to access the internet from all three locations (home, work and
somewhere else).
Overall, there are relatively few demographic differences among laptop owners when it comes to where
they use their devices to access the internet. The primary differences relate to access at work. Among
wireless laptop users:
• 43% of those with some college experience go online using a laptop at work, compared with 22% of
those with a high school degree or less.
• 49% of those earning $75,000 or more per year go online using a laptop at work, compared with 30%
of those earning less than $75,000 per year.
• 41% of men go online using a laptop from work, compared with 32% of women.

Mobile access using other devices
Devices other than laptop computers and mobile phones also play into the wireless internet story, as
9% of American adults now go online using an mp3 player, e-book reader or tablet computer. However,
these devices largely play a supporting role for Americans who already access the internet wirelessly
using a laptop computer or cell phone. The addition of these devices to our wireless internet definition
adds only one half of one percentage point to the overall wireless internet usage figure discussed above.
Put another way, just 1% of Americans who do not go online wirelessly using a laptop computer or cell
phone use some other type of mobile device to access the internet. By contrast, 15% of wireless internet
users also use some other type of mobile device to go online in addition to a cell phone and/or wireless
laptop.
Mp3 players – Nearly half of all American adults (46%) own an mp3 player, and 16% of them use their
handheld music players to go online. Not surprisingly, mp3 player ownership is strongly correlated with
age: three-quarters (73%) of 18-29 year olds own this type of device, compared with 56% of 30-49 year
olds, 33% of 50-64 year olds and just 7% of those ages 65 and older. Among mp3 player owners, men are
slightly more likely than women to use their device to go online (19% vs. 14%), while internet use is also
relatively high among 18-29 year olds (22% of mp3 owners in this age group use their player to access
the internet).
E-book readers – 4% of Americans own an e-book reader like a Kindle, and nearly half (46%) of these
owners use their electronic book reader to access the internet. At the moment e-book readers are
largely a luxury item owned primarily by the well-off and well-educated, as one in ten college graduates
(9%) and 8% of those with an annual household income of $75,000 or more per year own an electronic
book reader. The number of individuals in our survey who go online using e-book readers is too small for
detailed demographic comparisons of internet use on this device.
Game consoles – 42% of Americans own a game console like an Xbox or Play Station, and 29% of console owners use their gaming device to access the internet.9 Young adults are more likely than average
9

Note: we did not ask respondents to specify whether this internet access involved a wired or wireless network, so this

page 22

to own a game console (62% of 18-29 year olds do so) as are parents (67%) and those ages 30-49 (56%).
Although men and women are equally likely to own a gaming console, men are much more likely to use
them to go online (38% of male console owners do so, compared with 20% of women). Additionally,
nearly half of console owners ages 18-29 (45%) use their gaming to device to access the internet.
Tablet computers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; This year for the first time we asked our respondents whether they owned a tablet
PC such as an iPad, and 3% said that they do. Roughly six in ten of these individuals use their device to
access the internet, although given the small number of tablet owners these findings are not reported in
detail here.

figure is not included in any of the wireless internet usage figures calculated in this report.

page 23

Final Topline

Spring Change Assessment Survey 2010

6/4/10

Data for April 29 – May 30, 2010
Princeton Survey Research Associates International
for the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project
Sample: n= 2,252 national adults, age 18 and older, including 744 cell phone interviews
Interviewing dates: 04.29.10 – 05.30.10
Margin of error is plus or minus 2 percentage points for results based on Total [n=2,252]
Margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for results based on internet users [n=1,756]
Margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points for results based on cell phone users [n=1,917]

Q10

As I read the following list of items, please tell me if you happen to have each one, or
not. Do you have… [INSERT ITEMS IN ORDER]?
a.

YES

NO

DON’T KNOW

REFUSED

Current

62

38

*

*

January 2010

59
58
62
64
65
65
68

41
42
37
36
34
35
32

0
*
0
*
*
*
*

*
*
*
*
----

Current

55

45

*

0

January 2010

49
46
47
47
39
37
30

51
53
53
53
61
63
69

*
*
*
*
*
*
*

A desktop computer

December 2009
September 2009
April 2009
April 2008
Dec 2007
April 2006

b.

A laptop computer or
netbook1

December 2009
September 2009
April 2009
April 2008
Dec 2007
April 2006

1

Through January 2010, item wording was “A laptop computer [IF NECESSARY: includes a netbook].”

Princeton Survey Research Associates International

*
*
*
*
---Q10 continued…

2

Q10 continued…
Q10

As I read the following list of items, please tell me if you happen to have each one, or
not. Do you have… [INSERT ITEMS IN ORDER]?
c.

YES

NO

DON’T KNOW

REFUSED

Current

82

18

*

0

January 20103

80
83
84
85
78
75
78
73

20
17
15
15
22
25
22
27

0
0
*
*
*
*
*
*

*
*
*
*
-----

66
65

34
35

*
*

---

Current

4

96

*

*

September 2009

3
2

97
98

*
*

*
*

Current

46

54

*

0

September 2009

43
45
34
20
11
11

57
55
66
79
88
88

*
*
*
*
1
1

A cell phone or a Blackberry
or iPhone or other device that
is also a cell phone2

December 2009
September 2009
April 2009
April 2008
Dec 2007
Sept 2007
April 2006
January 2005

4

November 23-30, 2004

d.

An electronic book device or
e-Book reader, such as a
Kindle or Sony Digital Book

April 2009

e.

An iPod or other MP3 player5

April 2009
December 2007
April 2006
February 2005
January 2005

2

0
*
----Q10 continued…

Prior to April 2009, item wording was “A cell phone.” From April 2009 thru December 2009, item wording was “A cell
phone or a Blackberry or iPhone or other device that is also a cell phone.” Beginning December 2007, this item was not
asked of the cell phone sample, but results shown here reflect Total combined Landline and cell phone sample.
3
In January 2010, item wording was “A cell phone or a Blackberry or iPhone or other handheld device that is also a cell
phone.”
4
Through January 2005, question was not asked as part of a series. Question wording as follows: “Do you happen to have
a cell phone, or not?”
5
Through February 2005, question was not asked as part of a series. Question wording as follows: “Do you have an iPod or
other MP3 player that stores and plays music files, or do you not have one of these?”

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Q10 continued…
Q10

As I read the following list of items, please tell me if you happen to have each one, or
not. Do you have… [INSERT ITEMS IN ORDER]?
f.

YES

NO

DON’T KNOW

REFUSED

Current

42

58

*

*

September 2009

37
41

63
59

*
*

*
*

3

97

*

0

A game console like Xbox or
Play Station

April 2009

g.

A tablet computer like an
iPad
Current

Q12

On your laptop computer or netbook, do you use [INSERT IN ORDER]?6
Based on internet users who have a laptop or netbook

Mobile wireless broadband, such as an AirCard, to
access the internet7
[IF NECESSARY: Wireless broadband is a longerrange wireless connection, offered by many
telephone companies and others.]

Q13

Thinking about when you access the internet wirelessly on your laptop or netbook –
either using WiFi or mobile wireless broadband – do you ever do this [INSERT IN
ORDER]?
Based on internet users who use WiFi or mobile wireless broadband on their laptop or netbook

6
7

Prior to May 2010, question wording was “On your laptop computer, do you ever use [INSERT IN ORDER]?”
Prior to January 2010, item wording was “Wireless broadband, such as an AirCard, to access the internet”

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a.

YES

NO

DON’T KNOW

REFUSED

86

13

1

0

91

9

*

*

Current

37

62

1

*

September 2009

37

62

*

*

Current

54

46

*

0

September 2009

55

44

1

*

At home
Current [N=1,003]
September 2009 [N=807]

b.

c.

Q14

8

At work

Someplace other than home or work

Thinking now just about your cell phone… Please tell me if you ever use your cell phone
to do any of the following things. Do you ever use your cell phone to [INSERT ITEMS;
ALWAYS ASK a-b FIRST in order; RANDOMIZE c-h]?9
Based on cell phone users

a.

Current [N=1,917]
January 2010 [N=1,891]
December 2009 [N=1,919]
September 2009 [N=1,868]
April 2009 [N=1,818]
December 2007 [N=1,704]

b.

January 2010
December 2009
September 2009
April 2009
December 2007

Take a picture
Current

d.

NO

DON’T KNOW

REFUSED

34
30
29
27
25
19

66
70
70
73
75
81

0
0
*
*
*
0

0
0
*
0
0
--

72
69
68
65
65
58

28
31
32
35
35
42

0
*
*
*
*
0

0
0
0
0
0
--

76

24

*

*

33
27
21
17

67
73
79
83

0
0
*
*

0
0
0
--

Send or receive text messages
Current

c.

YES

Send or receive email

Play music
Current
September 2009
April 2009
December 2007

8

In September 2009, two separate series of questions were asked: one of internet users who use WiFi on their laptop
[N=772] and one of internet users who use wireless broadband on their laptop [N=305]. Trend results shown here
combine those two series for each item (home/work/other).
9
Prior to January 2010, question wording was “Please tell me if you ever use your cell phone or Blackberry or other device
to do any of the following things. Do you ever use it to [INSERT ITEM]?” In January 2010, question wording was “Please
tell me if you ever use your cell phone or Blackberry or other handheld device to do any of the following things. Do you
ever use it to [INSERT ITEMS]?” For January 2010, December 2009, and September 2009, an answer category “Cell phone
can’t do this” was available as a volunteered option; “No” percentages for those trends reflect combined “No” and “Cell
phone can’t do this” results.

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e.

Send or receive Instant Messages
Current
January 2010
December 2009
September 2009
April 2009
December 2007

f.

Record a video
Current
April 2009
December 2007

30
29
31
27
20
17

69
70
68
72
79
83

1
1
1
1
*
*

34
19
18

66
81
82

*
0
0

*
0
0
*
*
-0
0
-Q14 continued…

Q14 continued…
Q14

Thinking now just about your cell phone… Please tell me if you ever use your cell phone
to do any of the following things. Do you ever use your cell phone to [INSERT ITEMS;
ALWAYS ASK a-b FIRST in order; RANDOMIZE c-h]?10
Based on cell phone users

g.

Current
April 2009
December 2007

h.

Access the internet11
Current
January 2010
December 2009
September 2009
April 2009
December 2007

WIRELESS

YES

NO

DON’T KNOW

REFUSED

34
27
27

66
73
73

*
*
0

0
0
--

38
34
32
29
25
19

62
66
67
71
74
81

0
0
*
*
*
0

0
0
0
0
*
--

Play a game

Wireless internet use12
WIRELESS
INTERNET USER

Current
January 2010
December 2009
September 2009
April 2009
December 2008

59
53
55
54
56
43

INTERNET USER
BUT NOT WIRELESS

22
24
24
25
23
30

ALL OTHERS

19
23
21
21
20
26

10

Prior to January 2010, question wording was “Please tell me if you ever use your cell phone or Blackberry or other device
to do any of the following things. Do you ever use it to [INSERT ITEM]?” In January 2010, question wording was “Please
tell me if you ever use your cell phone or Blackberry or other handheld device to do any of the following things. Do you
ever use it to [INSERT ITEMS]?” For January 2010, December 2009, and September 2009, an answer category “Cell phone
can’t do this” was available as a volunteered option; “No” percentages for those trends reflect combined “No” and “Cell
phone can’t do this” results.
11
In December 2007, item wording was “Access the internet for news, weather, sports, or other information”
12
Definitions for wireless internet use may vary from survey to survey.

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November 2008

Q15

37

37

26

Using your cell phone, how often do you access the internet or email – several times a
day, about once a day, 3-5 days a week, 1-2 days a week, every few weeks, less often
or never?
Based on those who use their cell phones to access the internet
CURRENT

%

Q16

43
12
8
9
5
10
12
*
*
[n=779]

Several times a day
About once a day
3-5 days a week
1-2 days a week
Every few weeks
Less often
Never
Don’t know
Refused

SEPT 2009

APRIL 2009

37
15
9
13
7
11
7
*
0
[n=539]

24
12
10
15
12
14
13
0
0
[n=475]

Thinking about other devices you own… Do you EVER access the internet or email using
[INSERT IN ORDER]?13
YES

NO

DON’T KNOW

REFUSED

Current [N=97]

46

54

0

0

September 2009 [N=68]

35

63

2

0

April 2009 [N=44]

32

67

1

0

Current [N=929]

16

83

*

0

September 2009 [N=850]

15

85

*

0

April 2009 [N=846]

11

88

*

0

Current [N=815]

29

71

*

0

September 2009 [N=700]

23

77

*

0

April 2009 [N=742]

22

78

0

0

Item A: Based on e-Book users
a.

Your electronic Book device or e-Book

Item B: Based on iPod or MP3 users
b.

An iPod or other MP3 player14

Item C: Based on game console users
c.

A game console like Xbox or Play Station15

Item D: Based on tablet computer users
13

September 2009 question wording was as follows: “Thinking about some of the electronic devices you have… Do you
EVER access the internet using [INSERT IN ORDER]?” April 2009 question wording was as follows: “Thinking about
these various devices… Do you EVER access the internet or email using [INSERT IN ORDER]? [If YES, ASK: Do you
mostly do this at home, at work, or someplace other than home or work?].” Results for “Yes” reflect combined
responses for “Mostly home,” “Mostly work,” “Mostly other,” and volunteered category “Combination of
home/work/other.”
14
Through September 2009, item wording was “Your iPod or other MP3 player”
15
Through September 2009, item wording was “Your game console like Xbox or Play Station”

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d.

A tablet computer like an iPad

59

Current [N=56]
Q17

41

0

0

Do you ever use your cell phone toâ&#x20AC;Ś [INSERT ITEM; RANDOMIZE]?
Based on those who use their cell phones to access the internet [N=779]
YES, DO
THIS

NO, DO
NOT DO
THIS

(VOL.) CELL
PHONE CANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T
DO THIS

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T
KNOW

REFUSED

a.

Send a photo or video to someone

74

26

*

0

0

b.

Post a photo or video online

31

68

1

0

0

c.

Purchase a product, such as
books, music, toys or clothing

22

78

*

0

0

d.

Make a charitable donation by text
message

10

89

0

*

0

e.

Access a social networking site like
MySpace, Facebook or
LinkedIn.com

48

52

*

*

0

f.

Access Twitter or another service
to share updates about yourself or
to see updates about others

20

79

1

0

0

g.

Watch a video

40

60

*

0

0

Methodology
This report is based on the findings of a daily tracking survey on Americans' use of the Internet.
The results in this report are based on data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey
Research Associates International between April 29 and May 30, 2010, among a sample of 2,252 adults,
age 18 and older. Interviews were conducted in English. For results based on the total sample, one can
say with 95% confidence that the error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or
minus 2.4 percentage points. For results based Internet users (n=1,756), the margin of sampling error is
plus or minus 2.7 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical
difficulties in conducting telephone surveys may introduce some error or bias into the findings of opinion
polls.
A combination of landline and cellular random digit dial (RDD) samples was used to represent all
adults in the continental United States who have access to either a landline or cellular telephone. Both
samples were provided by Survey Sampling International, LLC (SSI) according to PSRAI specifications.
Numbers for the landline sample were selected with probabilities in proportion to their share of listed
telephone households from active blocks (area code + exchange + two-digit block number) that
contained three or more residential directory listings. The cellular sample was not list-assisted, but was
drawn through a systematic sampling from dedicated wireless 100-blocks and shared service 100-blocks
with no directory-listed landline numbers.
New sample was released daily and was kept in the field for at least five days. The sample was
released in replicates, which are representative subsamples of the larger population. This ensures that
complete call procedures were followed for the entire sample. At least 7 attempts were made to
complete an interview at a sampled telephone number. The calls were staggered over times of day and
days of the week to maximize the chances of making contact with a potential respondent. Each number
received at least one daytime call in an attempt to find someone available. For the landline sample, half
of the time interviewers first asked to speak with the youngest adult male currently at home. If no male

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was at home at the time of the call, interviewers asked to speak with the youngest adult female. For the
other half of the contacts interviewers first asked to speak with the youngest adult female currently at
home. If no female was available, interviewers asked to speak with the youngest adult male at home. For
the cellular sample, interviews were conducted with the person who answered the phone. Interviewers
verified that the person was an adult and in a safe place before administering the survey. Cellular sample
respondents were offered a post-paid cash incentive for their participation. All interviews completed on
any given day were considered to be the final sample for that day.
Non-response in telephone interviews produces some known biases in survey-derived estimates
because participation tends to vary for different subgroups of the population, and these subgroups are
likely to vary also on questions of substantive interest. In order to compensate for these known biases,
the sample data are weighted in analysis. The demographic weighting parameters are derived from a
special analysis of the most recently available Census Bureauâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s March 2009 Annual Social and Economic
Supplement. This analysis produces population parameters for the demographic characteristics of adults
age 18 or older. These parameters are then compared with the sample characteristics to construct
sample weights. The weights are derived using an iterative technique that simultaneously balances the
distribution of all weighting parameters.

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Following is the full disposition of all sampled telephone numbers:
Table 1:Sample Disposition
Landline
20,895

Cell
12,699

Total Numbers Dialed

1,160
982
12
8,886
1,675
8,180
39.1%

251
18
--4,906
176
7,348
57.9%

Non-residential
Computer/Fax
Cell phone
Other not working
Additional projected not working
Working numbers
Working Rate

The disposition reports all of the sampled telephone numbers ever dialed from the original
telephone number samples. The response rate estimates the fraction of all eligible respondents in the
sample that were ultimately interviewed. At PSRAI it is calculated by taking the product of three
component rates:
o
o
o

Contact rate – the proportion of working numbers where a request for interview was made
Cooperation rate – the proportion of contacted numbers where a consent for interview was at
least initially obtained, versus those refused
Completion rate – the proportion of initially cooperating and eligible interviews that were
completed

Thus the response rate for the landline sample was 21.8 percent. The response rate for the cellular
sample was 19.3 percent.